Ant Farm – Did you ever have one? 

Over the last ten months, my teen has been restoring a Volkswagen Bug and studying car culture for his senior project. He has his own blog devoted to his efforts, so if you don’t know about this project, click over and visit him for the details and updates.

The Bug project has had its ups, downs and pushes all around. Recently, Cole wrote a blog post that included, “…I wondered why couldn’t I have come from a normal family where the mother says, ‘No way!’ and tells me to start an ant farm for my senior project.” Really? Could it be because my strong-willed teen absolutely convinced me that he could pull apart a Bug and put it together again in his sleep? I have a feeling this all stems from a curse that was put on me a long time ago in the form of, “SOMEDAY MAY YOU HAVE A CHILD….”

In any case, the Bug is running more than less and Cole is kicking off his final Bug fundraiser tomorrow. Over the next three weeks, he plans to collect 1,000 sharpie autographs on the Bug. He will request a $1.00 donation for each autograph.

I am promoting his efforts because 1) I am his mother; 2) I think it is a fun idea; 3) it’s only a buck unless you want to add a heart or your phone number; and 4) because I did not say NO WAY to the Bug Project and order an ant farm.

In an effort to make this as little work as possible for you, Odd reader, I will re-post Cole’s blog post below. You can sign up to autograph the Bug on Odd or on Cole’s blog.

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From Cole…..

 Video may not play due to issues on Vimeo. Should be resolved soon.

Starting February 1 and continuing for the next three weeks, I will be asking family members, friends, Bug enthusiasts and supporters of education to autograph my Volkswagen Bug for a $1.00 donation. Every dollar raised—and you can feel free to kick in more than one—will go toward putting the final touches on the fabulous, fun, irresistible, bless-her-heart June Bug.

Here are the details:

Local: Sign up to autograph the Bug by leaving a comment and I’ll connect with you. I’m planning to be at the Chicago Waldorf School on Monday, February 3 (weather permitting) and other central locations throughout the month. I will also make home visits.

Virtual autographs: If you would like me to sign the Bug for you, just send me $1.00. No additional donation will be requested for my artistic rendering of your signature. I’ll add your autograph to the Bug and e-mail you a picture. Click for the address, and be sure to include an example of your signature and an e-mail address to send the picture to. Donations can also be sent via PayPal (link on Cole’s  sidebar-not Odd) cash, or check.

An autograph is limited to your name written in a reasonable size. I’ll be happy to discuss adding your phone number for an additional donation.

Little hearts over an “i” or other flourishes will cost an additional amount. Exclamation marks are really expensive (FYI, Bill Gates can’t afford exclamation marks with little hearts at the end!).

Autographs can be any color, as long as you use my black or blue Sharpie. Want a different color? Make me an offer I can’t refuse.

Current Bug sponsors’ signatures will automatically be added to the Bug. I will make every effort to track down current local sponsors so they can sign the Bug personally. If you sponsored from out of town, I will add your signature to the Bug and send you a picture.

The slide show at the top of this post will be updated every few days. If your name isn’t there right away, it soon will be. Bug’s honor.

Bonus! My sponsor from the last round of fundraising has challenged me to come up with “famous Chicago signatures.” Do you know a famous Chicago person who would be willing to sign a VW Bug?

My goal is 1,000 autographs. Can I count on your autograph toward achieving this?

Thanks for going along for the ride,

 

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This month will find me bouncing along side Cole in the Bug, hanging on to his sharpies, warmed by a heater that gives off about as much heat as a 60 watt lightbulb. As we travel throughout Chicago collecting autographs because hey who else would he go with? On the other hand, March 7th, when he presents his senior project I’m pretty sure that I’ll be beaming with pride, thrilled that he went the distance, and doing a happy dance at the thought of reclaiming my vans spot in the garage.

Odd Loves Company!